Sunday, January 01, 2012

I did a bit of research before I went to Victoria, and found out about Fol Epi's famous buttery croissants. I had originally planned to have breakfast there on the 2nd day of my trip, but that didn't happen as I slept in after a restless night at the Empress. While the hotel is impressive with its vine-clad walls and rich historical background, there is much to be said about the ventilation in the aged building (especially the rooms). But let's not get into that. So it happened that I didn't manage to visit Fol Epi until late in the afternoon when all the croissants were long gone :(

I found the old country theme rather charming — the brick wall, the wooden counters and the large crusty breads on the shelves. I hope that happy-looking guy behind the counter doesn't mind having his picture shown here.

Unfortunately there wasn't a lot of food left since it was near closing time.

I decided to try the mincemeat tart, while the memory of the one I had at the Empress was still fresh. This turned out to be tastier and more flavourful. I think it had something to do with the spices. Also the fruit filling was a lot more exciting, as it was not predominantly apple like the one I had the day before.

I'm still quite sad that I didn't get to try the croissants, but that just gives me another excuse to visit Victoria again! I can't wait to enjoy another one of Fol Epi's delectable pastries paired with a cup of steaming latte from Caffe Fantastico next door. (Actually it's not quite next door, it's in the same store as the bakery.) For those who are interested, I found out after a bit of research that all of Fol Epi's baked goods are made using organic ingredients. The flour they use is not store-bought, but milled in-house using raw wheat. They even built their own wood-fired oven. Impressive, no?